What can I say? It's one of the most beautiful churches around the metro. It's huge in size, can…read moreaccommodate a large group of church goers, and airconditioned (a great bonus). What I love about this church is how beautiful the ceremonies are especially during the Holy Week. My family never fails to spend the first 2 days of the Easter Triduum at Christ the King because of the solemnity. It's extremely difficult to find parking during the Holy Week though, but on normal Sundays, you can find parking space 30 minutes before the mass. It's always difficult to leave the parking lot, though. I suggest you park nearest to the exit, and once the mass is over, sprint towards your car to leave ahead of everyone else.

I'm not Catholic, so I can't comment on the quality of the sermons here or anything in relation to…read moretheology, but I've been here on more than several occasions for wakes, baptisms, internments, masses, weddings and more. It was always a pleasant experience, emotions aside, from an objective standpoint. The staff here has done a fantastic job at maintaining the cleanliness, tidiness and brightness of the place. It feels very welcoming. Having said that, I would not hesitate for a second to recommend Christ the King as a venue for any of the aforementioned life or death events. Ample parking is available as well.

I'm not really amused by chapels inside shopping malls. In Christianity, there's this story about…read moreJesus Christ cleansing the Temple of people who turned it into a marketplace. But I digress. What I really wanted to say is that, finally, there's a mall chapel that I'm willing to favor. The San Pedro Calungsod Chapel at SM Aura Premier is unlike other places of worship inside malls. For one, there are no retailers or restaurants near the chapel. True, the Samsung Hall (a performance theater) is located on the same floor but it's on the far opposite side of a garden strip. The chapel is an ideal place for devout senior citizens, especially during summer, because it's air-conditioned and easily accessible. There is a small elevator on the 5th floor exclusively servicing churchgoers. But during my visit, I opted to use the stairs instead to allow more space to the senior citizens who were lining up for the elevator. It was a steep climb but it was worth all my effort. The dome-shaped chapel is a feast for the eyes. Its modern architecture and the bright ambient lighting give it that holy ground glow which is nothing short of spectacular. Everything in it -- from the simple altar to the amphitheater layout and the great acoustics -- can surely move a person to be silent and say a prayer or two. Masses are held twice a day at 12:00 noon and 6:00pm from Mondays to Saturdays. During Sundays, five masses are held and scheduled at 10:00am, 12:00 noon, 3:00pm, 5:00pm and 7:00pm. Confessions are held daily after each mass. Baptisms, confirmations, and weddings are not allowed in the chapel.

I consider St. Francis of Assisi Parish as a memorable part of my primary and secondary schooling…read more My first sacrament of communion happened there and I remember spending countless days practicing for it. Both of my graduation ceremonies for grade school and high school were also held in Saint Francis Parish. I consider it as one of the biggest and most beautiful churches out there. Once you enter this place, you'll immediately notice the huge image of Jesus Christ placed at the Church's center. There are also figurines of saints near the entrance where you can light a candle and add a prayer of intention for your loved ones. St. Francis of Assisi Parish has regular Sunday morning masses that start at 5:30 AM, while afternoon and evening masses start at 5:00 PM. If you don't have the time to go to the weekend masses, St. Francis Parish also has masses and services every weekdays. Franciscan priests often lead the masses in St. Francis Church. Listen to their homilies well, because you will truly be enlightened by their words of wisdom.

As a recent graduate of Lourdes School of Mandaluyong, the school attached to the church, I've…read moregrown to know and love St. Francis Church. The namesake of the church, St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment. The church is quite large, and the interior design is simply beautiful. One can't help but contemplate and feel solemn if left alone here. Aside from that, the chapel right beside the church is simple, yet intimate. It can only house around 10 people comfortably, and is quite cozy. The Sunday masses start from 7:30 in the morning with 15 minute intervals in between until 12:15, and then continue from 5:00 until 8:30 in the evening. The homilies are typically well written by experienced Franciscan priests and preach humility and brotherhood. In terms of location, St. Francis Church is very convenient. Its location near the EDSA-Shaw intersection places it right next to major malls such as Shangri-La Plaza, SM Megamall, Podium, and even Robinson's Galleria.

Really modern building which I suppose fits the character of BGC. There's no vestibule - just step…read moreinto the door and you are in this massive open space! The 9 am community was quite vibrant full of visitors and regulars alike. The music is very boomer-era apparently written by local composers. Again, I suppose it fits the character of the building. This parish also runs a couple of nearby mall chapels so I think the staff keep fairly busy amidst all their responsibilities. Up in the mezzanine I noticed a replica of the Black Nazarene, so I suppose this is a safe way to view that without having to go to Quiapo!

HISTORY OF ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL PARISH, BGC TAGUIG St…read more Michael the Archangel Parish (SMAP) has a very rich history in Fort Bonifacio, a former military open space before it became known as Bonifacio Global City. It rose in 1957 as a small white post-military chaplain under the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines, which was under the pastoral care of the late Manila Archbishop Rufino Cardinal Santos, first military Vicar of the diocese. In 1993, President Ramos approved the conversion of Military bases and Fort Bonifacio was one of them. Metro Pacific Investments won the bidding and donated a new church structure located inside the Philippine Army Compound in 1995. On July 7, 2000, the St. Michael Chaplaincy was officially transferred from Military Ordiniarate to the Archdiocese of Manila and Rev. Fr. Dojie Asuncion was installed as the first chaplain of the church. Two years after, Bishop Socrates Villegas installed Fr. Regulo Gines Cayuela to lead the St. Michael Chaplaincy. When Fr. Arnold T. Eramiz took over on July 31, 2004, preparations for the construction of the new church began. Bishop Francisco San Diego, along with the representatives of Ayala Land and Fort Bonifacio Development Corp., signed the memorandum of agreement in March 2007 to allocate the lot to the church. During the construction, mass celebrations were held in the makeshift chapel for six years. St. Michael Chaplaincy then welcomed Fr. Enrique "Betbet" Rabonza IV on July 1, 2015 who lead various income-generating activities to raise funds for the continuous construction of the church. By 2016, the parish was able to celebrate its first Simbang Gabi on December 15 as the church construction was nearing to its completion. The consecration of St. Michael Chaplaincy to St. Michael the Archangel Parish on April 24, 2017 was simultaneously done with the installation of Fr. Betbet as its first Parish Priest. SMAP now continues to heed the mission of the Catholic Church to spread the good news and live according to the teachings of the Bible one parishioner at a time. *Source: THE SWORD: St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church, BGC Official Newsletter (Volume 1, Issue 1, September 2018) MASS SCHEDULE: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 6:30 A.M. (Tagalog every Tuesday and Thursday) Wednesday and Friday 6:30 A.M. 6:00 P.M. Saturdays 6:30 A.M. 6:00 P.M. (Anticipated English) Sundays 6:30 A.M. (Tagalog) 8:00 A.M. (English) 9:30 A.M. (English) 11:00 A.M. (English) 4:00 P.M. (Tagalog) 5:30 P.M. (English) 7:00 P.M. (English) 8:15 P.M. (English) Parish Priest: Rev. Fr. Pedro Enrique L. Rabonza IV, JCD PARISH OFFICE HOURS Tuesday to Sunday 8:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. Breaktime 12:00 NN - 1:30 P.M. MASSES WITHIN THE BGC AREA 1.) Uptown Mall (St. Gabriel the Archangel Chapel, 4th Floor, The Deck) Weekdays-12:15 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. Saturdays- 6:30 P.M. Sundays- 12:00 NN, 5:00 P.M., and 6:30 P.M. 2.) Market! Market! (3rd Floor, Pearl Market) Sundays at 9:30 A.M. Thursdays at 6:00 P.M. 3.) BGC Central Square Atrium Sundays at 11:00 A.M. 4.) Venice Piazza Grand Canal Mall (3rd Floor, near Gold's Gym) Sundays at 11:00 A.M. 5.) Eight Forbes Town Mall (2nd floor) Sundays at 11:30 A.M. and 5:30 P.M.

I've only been to Sanctuario De San Antonio Parish exactly two times - both was to attend a…read morewedding. My first experience was when I was a wedding guest and my brother was part of the wedding entourage. I was immediately impressed upon entering the sacred venue, high walls, cosy structure and long aisle. It seemed like Sanctuario De San Antonio was made for weddings. It also helped that the place was fully aircondtioned. I can imagine how hard it must be for brides to walk down the aisle in scorching heat. Aircon is definitely a must when I get married. My second time at this church was when I was part of the entourage of my friend's wedding. I was quite excited to walk down the aisle and have the feeling of being enveloped by the church. Yet again, I was impressed by everything the church had to offer. Good sound system, good ventilation and a feeling of exclusivity and sanctuary. Sanctuary De San Antonio is definitely one of my favourite churches in Manila.

If there's one thing I love about San Antonio Parish, it's their area for crypts. Yes, it sounds so…read moremorbid... but to be completely honest, I love how they have one of the most conveniently located and well-maintaned crypts that I have been to. I have many relatives buried here, so I frequent this place a lot. Besides their location, I like how their crypts are neatly lined up in rows, with no frills around them. The floors are always clutter-free and the crypts are also cleaned regularly. They make sure to remove any wilted flowers/plants, in case you are not able to visit right away to remove the trash yourself. They also have fans in each hallway to make it breathable for visitors. I used to dread visiting relatives in other cemeteries, but now that most are in San Antonio, I don't mind it at all and even find myself visiting more often than I normally would.

I only actually started frequenting going to mass here for about a year which is weird because my…read morefamily has lived in Magallanes for six years and for some reason they refused to go to this Church and we still went to our previous Church. Haha. Anyway, this is actually a newly renovated church because it was burnt down a couple of years ago. It took awhile for them to rebuild it but voila! This newly renovated church is finished. I love that on Sundays, they celebrate mass until 9 pm the latest. I think that that's perfect for those who aren't really morning persons and have family obligations all day. After an early Sunday dinner, you can head over to this Church and hear mass. I also love the priests here. They're nice and friendly and easy to talk to. Parking though can be difficult so I opt to walk. You can come early to find a good parking slot somewhere, or just park somewhere in Magallanes and walk. :)

My family has been going to this parish since before I was born! I grew up hearing mass in this…read morechurch, and I've attended mass every Sunday here even after the church had burned down, and masses were being held in a large bahay kubo while the church was being renovated. First of all, the church structure is absolutely beautiful. If you attend mass in the mornings, the light passing through the windows is so beautiful and calming, it really sets up the atmosphere for hearing mass. It's also air-conditioned inside, so you don't have to worry about passing out from the heat. The priests that give the homily are all very talented too - never have I strayed from listening to a homily in St. Alphonsus. My favorite priest was a Hispanic one whose name escapes me now, but he was very funny and always made the audience laugh during his homilies. I remember he blessed my mom's boyfriend's motorcycle (it's a long story), and afterwards, he showed me his prayer book and jokingly said, "Do you have an airplane I can bless too? Because this book has instructions for blessing airplanes and I've always wanted to try." What a great guy! The masses are also pretty short, they last around 45 minutes, and bells outside begin chiming once the mass is ended. It's pretty neat, and plus the singers for mass are also very talented. Mass schedule goes from 7:30am all the way to 9pm, so all you nightowls have no excuse to miss mass now, haha! Overall, I love this church, and I'm probably going to attend mass here until I die.

Welcome to the Adventures of the Agnostic Catholic! This is where I review some of the churches…read moreI've been to and known, minus the point of view of a committed member of an organized religion. Before I met my SO, I barely know any single place in Pasig City. (Uhm... Ortigas?) He's born and raised as a south Manila person, and he knows the city like the back of his hand. One of the sweetest things that he did was bring me to his hometown's church and introduce me to his family there one Sunday. He's very Catholic, and while I'm not that religious, I think it's really sweet that he wanted "God and [his] family" to meet me. PROS: My first and only visit to the Immaculate Conception Cathedral was both sweet and awesome. It's a pretty old church, so there's the Baroque details. But you could still see how well maintained and renovated the interiors and exteriors are; It may be crowded but the attendants were very adept at efficiently ushering people to their seats. There are ropes and signs around too, guiding people on where to go. CONS: As expected from cathedrals and big churches around the city, traffic can get heavy around the place during Sundays. Expect little parking space and a crowd inside. TL;DR: A beautifully antique church that's really taken care of by its patrons, Immaculate Conception Cathedral also holds a special place in my heart.

I haven't read the Bible cover to cover, but I'm quite sure there is nothing written about offering…read moreeggs for a fair weather (correct me if I'm wrong). Yet we Filipinos have a funny way of mixing superstition with religion. I've been to Monasterio de Santa Clara several times, and always with a carton of eggs with me. It has been believed that if you offer eggs to the nuns in that monastery, there are greater chances that it wouldn't rain on your event. I tested this belief a couple of times; the first one was for our wedding. We offered more than two dozen eggs a week before the big day, and not only did it not rain, it was freaking humid! All our guests were sweating in our outdoor venue. The following time was for my daughter's first birthday. We did the same routine praying for fair weather, but that day it rained... a lot! The monastery not only accept eggs but also other forms of donation, such as cash. And I think you can give the nuns your prayer intentions, not necessarily weather-relaated. I have some friends who went there to pray for success in their board exams, and some offer eggs for thanksgiving. I'm not sure if it this is a joke, but I heard that the nuns use the eggs to make Leche Flan or another dessert using eggs, and sell these to the public. Well, if the profits go to some sort of charity, then I see nothing wrong with continuing this tradition.

One of the stranger traditions that you encounter in Manila is the one where devotees of Monasterio…read moreDe Santa Clara would offer eggs so that their prayers and/or wishes would come true. Most of the people who go to the monastery located nearby Katipunan are brides who are wishing for good weather on their wedding day. It is said that by offering a dozen eggs, you'll get nice weather and clear skies for a day or two, which would be perfect for your wedding day. This of course, has no empirical basis whatsoever but it is one of the longest standing traditions in Manila. As such, there vendors on site who sell eggs by dozen, all wrapped neatly in colorful cellophane. One can only wonder what the nuns inside the monastery do with the eggs. I hope they don't die of high cholesterol. Even if you don't believe in such things, it's a nice gesture to do before your big day. Can't hurt, right?

The Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and Columbarium, is so close to NAIA Terminal 3 that…read moreyou could almost walk there. The area has an ecclesiastical museum with beautiful artwork of St. Therese. The shrine also has its own Adoration Chapel and a flower shop. Mass there is something to see. The entire area is softly lighted and you can hear mass no matter where you are sitting. It is very close to the Marriott, and I understand it is used a lot for weddings with the reception at the Marriott. We simply went to mass and looked at the lovely art work. It was wonderful.

The Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and Columbarium, or simply St. Therese Shrine, stands…read moreright across NAIA Terminal 3 and within the vicinity of Newport City that houses the busy Resorts World Casino complex. The shrine is among the most popular wedding venues in the southern areas of Metro Manila. Apart from the bright altar that makes use of natural light (making it perfect for post-wedding photo ops), the church has tastefully designed interior. Plus, it's near Manila Marriott Hotel - itself a favorite reception venue with its huge ball and function rooms. In short, if you get wed at St. Therese, you won't need a bridal car if your reception is held at Marriott Hotel. The minimum fee for a wedding at the shrine is PHP 40,000.00 and that gives you one and a half hours of air-conditioned use of the church, a basic flower package, a soloist and pianist, a royal blue carpet for the aisle, and a priest. Weddings can be pencil-booked for three days, after which an official reservation must be made with 50% downpayment. Another attraction of the shrine is the columbarium. It houses 38,000 vaults or niches which can each fit four urns. The area also has an Ecclesiastical Museum displaying artwork about the life of St. Therese. The shrine also has its own Adoration Chapel and a flower shop.